[ohhgourami]

.
You MUST hear the Orpheus !!!
I had the chance in München last Friday and I was blown away. To me, THIS is the benchmark !
Fang was also there and I wish that he also would have tried the Orpheus - just to realize that there is still a long way to go ...
Personally, I liked the HE6 more than the HE1000 (driven by EF6 or EF1000) because it is the better allrounder. To me, the HE1000 was a bit too aggressive in highs, especially with classics an voices. Fang said the HE1000 (used at the show) will need more time for braking in. So, he should know ...

Anyone who loves the HE-6 will love the HE1k more after mods. I don't hear the aggressive highs you are talking about and I have a very neutral setup with practically infinite power. It must be the setup you heard it on.

 

[ubs28]

  I think also it is because you are using Hugo, Hugo is great as a portable dac, but as amp, i don't think it can drive he1000 well, since it even can not drive my T1 well. 

The HE-1000 is supposedly easy to drive? 

 

[Cotnijoe]

 
I think also it is because you are using Hugo, Hugo is great as a portable dac, but as amp, i don't think it can drive he1000 well, since it even can not drive my T1 well. 

The HE-1000 is supposedly easy to drive? 

I think the term "easier" is more appropriate. Compared to other planars it is relatively easy to drive. Its still around 90 dB sensitivity i think

 

[musicinmymind]

 

.
You MUST hear the Orpheus !!!
I had the chance in München last Friday and I was blown away. To me, THIS is the benchmark !
Fang was also there and I wish that he also would have tried the Orpheus - just to realize that there is still a long way to go ...
Personally, I liked the HE6 more than the HE1000 (driven by EF6 or EF1000) because it is the better allrounder. To me, the HE1000 was a bit too aggressive in highs, especially with classics an voices. Fang said the HE1000 (used at the show) will need more time for braking in. So, he should know ...

Anyone who loves the HE-6 will love the HE1k more after mods. I don't hear the aggressive highs you are talking about and I have a very neutral setup with practically infinite power. It must be the setup you heard it on.

 
where was vol knob with HE1k, how much play did you get with HE1k when compared to HE-6 ?

 

[ohhgourami]

   
where was vol knob with HE1k, how much play did you get with HE1k when compared to HE-6 ?

 
3-5 out of 99 steps with HE1k. Normally listen between 11-14 steps of 99 with HE-6

 

[kensonic]

I did a quick comparison between HE-1000 vs. Orpheus at Munich show and they sounded very different.The Orpheus sounded full warm and very liquid but only with average soundstage because the frontstage was missing.The HE-1000 sounded thin against Orpheus and the midrange was somehow sucked out The HE-1K had huge soundstage in every direction like HD-800 but was not as liquid as SR-009.The signature of HE-1K is closer to SR-009 and i guess that the HE-1K needs some fat tube amps .I heard the HE-1000 with three different Hifimans amps but didn't get wow feelings.

.
I can not disagree
If I will have the chance, I will try the HE1000 with my Allnic and the Puccini.
However, the Orpheus was just fantastic in tonality.
I also heard the 009 with Stax Amp. This is not my cup of tea.
Although I like the HD800 with classics (with Violectric 281) I would clearly prefer the Orpheus.
Unfortunately, the Orpheus is not in my inventory (compared to yours, right ?).

 

[kensonic]

Anyone who loves the HE-6 will love the HE1k more after mods. I don't hear the aggressive highs you are talking about and I have a very neutral setup with practically infinite power. It must be the setup you heard it on.

.
1. Source used by Sieveking: I can't remember; amp. EF1000
2. AK 120 & Hugo
.
I used 1. with HE6 and HE1000.
I would love to hear the (your) modded HE6/HE1000 ...

 

[kensonic]

.
1. Source used by Sieveking: I can't remember; amp. EF1000
2. AK 120 & Hugo
.
I used 1. with HE6 and HE1000.
I would love to hear the (your) modded HE6/HE1000 ...

.
.
... Forgot 3. Source /Sieveking & EF6 :rolleyes::rolleyes:

 

[potkettleblack]

 
I have seen no such comparisons! 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Since you dropped my bomb prematurely, I'll go ahead and write my comparison here.
 
Listening through Yggy > audio-gd Master -1 preamp > Krell FPB 300cx.
 
Like the new headband design compared to HE-6, plus the thing is much much lighter. I like the size (L x W, diameter) of the cups but dislike the shallowness (ear touches the driver side) and the velour material (woolly and makes my ears itchy). I don't like the sleeving on the cable either, but I think most of us will be upgrading cables and probably hardwiring later.
 
At first listen, I think the differences between HE-6 and HE1k are obvious. HE1k is more detailed, faster, better layering, imaging, and soundstage. A better headphone, technically. BUT (here it comes) it's not engaging; it's laid-back - a bit boring. I've had to crank up the volume on the HE1k to get that engagement/raw energy of the HE-6. I'm so used to that level of excitement and magic, my ears kept digging for it then gave out in fatigue. There's a warmth to the HE1k bass that is bloomy and does not feel solid (like bass from SR-009). HE-6 forcefully thumps you in the chest while HE1k blows air in your face. If anyone heard the HE1k at CanJam, these sound VERY different from those. I'm inclined to say the pairs at CanJam were broken.
 
The whole time, I was longing to reach for the HE-6 because it's got the sound I know and love. I want that attack, visceralness, engagement in the mids that grabs you by the neck and doesn't let go. The HE1k is the better headphone no doubt, but it's not quite what I like. I think a lot of HE-6 owners will agree with me here. For all the other guys who didn't think the HE-6 was that special, this might be the perfect headphone.
 
Throughout all of yesterday, I was in a lot of disappointment and confusion. I finally got a headphone that's an upgrade after all these years of waiting, but I didn't like it. Something ticked in my mind and decided to do something about it. What if I put my Audeze Vegan pads on these. HOLY CRAP!  THERE IT IS!!!  The MAGIC is BACK baby!  All the excitement, engagement, attack came back from a simple pad change! I love how they sound now. There is a minor annoyance in that theres a midbass boost which I'm currently still trying to fix, but it's a huge leap forward in the right direction. It finally sounds like a headphone with focus and man do those mids pop right out. I want to say the imaging and layer is better than the R10 now. The subbass is also earthshaking which I'm sure Abyss lover would like.
 
I would highly suggest that Fang should keep working on the pads. They are really holding the driver back.
 
At this point, I can almost say this is the best headphone in the world (haven't heard an Orpheus though). Hifiman did a very good job with the driver and now with my mod, I can say these are an HE-6 replacement. Last month, I shoved my modded HE-6 in Fang's face and told him these are the real benchmark! I sort of take that back now because the HE1k is the new benchmark once they have been modded.

Oh my god you're so innovative and such a risk taker! 
 
You hear that, kids? The he-1000 don't sound as great as EVERYONE has been saying. That is, until you put on a pair of AUDEZE VEGAN PADS! Then they sound magical!!! HERPY DERPY
 
Can somebody drop Fang a voice mail and let him know his pads are holding back his flagship please. Make sure he knows to use vegan though and not leather. Leather causes too many reflections DERPY HERPY
 
This is exactly what we wanted from the beta testers; unexaggerated, non-space cadet esque opinions, that can make this headphone the best in the world.
 
 
damn.

 

[wuwhere]

Better order yours soon, I'm sure Audeze don't have many of those pads in stock.

 

[pearljam50000]

Please post bad reviews because i just bought the HD800 and i can't afford the HE1000, thanks. 

 

[potkettleblack]

R.I.P your rock collection

 

[wuwhere]

  Please post bad reviews because i just bought the HD800 and i can't afford the HE1000, thanks. 

 
My wallet loves bad reviews

 

[zolkis]

 
Throughout all of yesterday, I was in a lot of disappointment and confusion. I finally got a headphone that's an upgrade after all these years of waiting, but I didn't like it. Something ticked in my mind and decided to do something about it. What if I put my Audeze Vegan pads on these. HOLY CRAP!  THERE IT IS!!!  The MAGIC is BACK baby!  All the excitement, engagement, attack came back from a simple pad change! I love how they sound now. There is a minor annoyance in that theres a midbass boost which I'm currently still trying to fix, but it's a huge leap forward in the right direction. It finally sounds like a headphone with focus and man do those mids pop right out. I want to say the imaging and layer is better than the R10 now. The subbass is also earthshaking which I'm sure Abyss lover would like.
 
I would highly suggest that Fang should keep working on the pads. They are really holding the driver back.

 
Thanks for sharing this. I noticed this is a tendency, and looks like pads are really holding most TOTL headphones back. I made many Stax SR-007 MUCH better with a pad change, improved the bass extension and attack of my SR-009 by changing pad filling, made my TH900 sound far better with mod that included changing pad fillings. I think I could make many headphone better by some experimenting (looking at the LCD-3 now). That tells me headphone manufacturers don't really care about earpads design (except a few), as long as they are comfortable and cover the options customers want (soft leather etc). Well, it's possible that they just wanted them this way, but by your description, there is a clear improvement.
 
My fear with the HE1000 is that it sounds a bit metallic zingy like all other headphones they make (at least when compared to the 009), which would be a showstopper for me. Could someone confirm it's not?

 

[potkettleblack]